Sal Gabrini: Just The Way You Are Read Online Free Page B

way back downstairs.
    Mark Price,
an African-American attorney working at Gemma’s firm, had just gotten out of his
car.   Sal was just passing by the office
window indoors when he saw Mark make his way up to Gemma and her
assistants.   “What are you guys doing out
here?” he asked as he approached them, his briefcase in hand.   Sal stopped at the window and watched him.
    “Some fool
vandalized the office,” Curtis said.   “You should see it, Mark.   They
went crazy up in there.”
    Mark placed
his hand on the small of Gemma’s back.   When Sal saw him touch her, he hurried out of the office.   “You look a little rattled,” Mark said to
Gemma, showing concern in his eyes.   “Please tell me you weren’t injured.”
    Before Gemma
could respond, Sal came out and headed their way.
    Mark removed
his hand from the small of Gemma’s back as soon as he saw Sal, which only heightened
Sal’s discomfort with the man.   A guilty
man would remove his hand.   An innocent
man would have remained as he were.
    Gemma,
unaware of Sal’s concern about Mark, turned to Sal too.   “Did they make it upstairs?” she asked.
    “It’s a
wreck up there,” Sal said.
    “What about
our offices?” Mark asked.
    Sal wasn’t
going to repeat himself.   Especially not
for Mark Price.
    Mark
exhaled.   “We have client files in our
offices.   Very confidential stuff.   Have the police arrived?   Where are the cops?”
    “My men are inside
making certain no one’s hiding out in there and the locks are shored-up.   Then they’re going to call in a clean-up crew
to get the office back up and running before the day is over.”
    But Mark
frowned.   “No police?   Not even a police report?”
    “We don’t
need that kind of negative publicity, Mark,” Gemma said.
    “Amen to
that,” Barbara agreed.   “We don’t want to
scare any clients away with negative publicity.”
    “Let’s get
the office back in working condition,” Gemma said, “to see if any files or any
crucial info is missing.   Then we’ll see
if the police need to get involved.”
    Mark
exhaled.   “Okay, boss.   You’re the boss.   I guess I’d better get in there and see the
damage for myself.” Then he thought about something that he found odd to begin
with.   “Wait a minute,” he said.   “I thought you were supposed to be giving
your closing this morning?”
    “I was.   Judge Rileo had an emergency hearing.   We were pushed back until tomorrow.”
    “The life of
a lawyer,” Mark said.
    “Right,”
Gemma agreed.
    After Mark,
Barbara, and Curtis grabbed their gear and headed inside for their own damage
assessments, Sal and Gemma looked at each other.   “I guess I’d better check things out too,”
Gemma said.
    “Like hell,”
Sal responded.   “You’re going home.”
    “Sal!”
    “Don’t Sal me!   I want you to go home and lay down and get some rest.   This kind of stress isn’t good for you or our
baby.”
    Gemma knew
that was true.   But she also knew she
could handle it.   “But Sal, I’m okay.”
    “But Sal my
foot.   You’re going home.   This kind of stress isn’t good for you or our
baby.”
    “But I need
to check my files too.”
    “Check’em
tomorrow.   You’re going home with me
today.”
    Gemma looked
at Sal.   “You’re going home too?”
    Sal had a
zillion things to do.   But Gemma came
first.   “I’m going home too,” he said.
    “But you were
in some crisis at your own office when I phoned you,” Gemma said.   “Weren’t you?”
    “We lost a
couple of acquisitions over some bullshit I’m straightening out,” Sal
admitted.   “But they can handle it
without me.   Just as your staff can
handle it without you. I’m willing to sacrifice for you and the baby.   I need you to be willing to sacrifice for
yourself.   This pregnancy business is new
to you and me both.   We’ve got to play it
safe, Gem.”
    Gemma knew
he spoked the truth.   And as soon as she
realized